Demystifying music licensing for theatre

Entertainment attorney Gordon Firemark shares insights about music licensing and more

Community theatres often use recorded music as part of pre-show or intermission, and sometimes within productions. All uses of recorded, copyrighted music require licensing — a fact that is somehow “forgotten” by many theatres. The way a particular piece of music is used makes a difference in the kind of music licensing required. And it can get complicated.

Gordon Firemark, an entertainment attorney in the Los Angeles area, pulls back the curtain on the complexities of music licensing for the theatre. He explains that it’s not usually as simple as having an ASCAP license. And it’s not a great idea to hope you can plead ignorance when a music rights holder sends your theatre a bill. Music licensing is something every theatre director should understand.

Gordon Firemark knows the legal side of the entertainment business. His legal practice is devoted to the representation of artists, writers, producers and directors in the fields of theater, film, television,and music. He is also the producer and host of Entertainment Law Update, a podcast for artists and professionals in the entertainment industries. His practice also covers intellectual property, cyberspace, new media and business/corporate matters for clients in the entertainment industry. He is the author of The Podcast, Blog and New Media Producer’s Legal Survival Guide.

Join us for a fascinating conversation about a subject that is important to all theatre producers, amateur and professional.